Chapter Twenty-Five: Astonishing!

[We originally thought the book would reveal some earth-shattering secret, but instead, it displayed three words: ‘You are unworthy’. This infuriated the Witch Queen, and I was implicated as well... The rest, you already know.]

It seemed that Stuart was forcibly dragged out of the magic mirror by the Witch Queen, and it wasn’t merely because he wanted to serve Osicres—he happened to be nearby, perhaps even laughed aloud, which provoked the Witch Queen’s wrath.

So she replaced the mirror spirit.

[Although Delphi didn’t obtain the diary, she did get a fragment of ‘Theory One’—a sacred magical tome hand-copied by the previous Witch Queen!]

At this point, Stuart, with a fawning look, offered Louis a slight bow—as if to say, ‘Your humble servant knows a thing or two about the sacred tome, should you be interested...’

“I’m not interested,” Louis replied, twitching his lips.

[Ah, I mean, if you wish to see the book, I actually...]

“I don’t want to see it.”

[...]

What’s so fascinating about an elementary school textbook?!

The book acquired by the previous Witch Queen should be titled ‘Modern Magical Theory One’... followed by Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine.

They were essentially textbooks for nine years of compulsory education.

Aside from these, Louis had also ‘read’ all the books in the Sanctuary Astral Library.

He even earned a doctorate within the book—those memories must have been the experiences he gained while studying in the storybook.

Louis might have spent many years within the storybook, but with his hazy recollections, it seemed like only an instant.

As for Mr. Anthony—he truly was Louis’s teacher.

Professor Anthony was a Forbidden Scholar, whose apparition appeared within the storybook. Now, Louis had obtained the title of ‘Forbidden Scholar’ himself, essentially graduating from his tutelage.

He recalled a note he had made in the book:

[Astral Traveler: Louis (Forbidden Scholar)]

Mr. Anthony was likely the previous generation’s ‘Astral Traveler’. He once journeyed to this world, brought knowledge here, but the people were somewhat anti-intellectual—they destroyed the knowledge because it ‘defied common sense’.

Later, the previous Witch Queen found some elementary and middle school textbooks; thus, this junior high student became invincible...

As for her disciple—the current Witch Queen—her abilities were only at an elementary level.

Probably she couldn’t even comprehend those junior high books...

But what did Stuart claim?

All the wizards tremble in the shadow of the Witch Queen?

Surely this elementary student couldn’t be the greatest boss of this world?!

Impossible... She must just be the boss of the beginner’s village; there’s more than one Witch Queen, more than one kingdom and academy.

Yes, this must only be the beginner’s village boss.

[My lord, are you truly not interested?]

Seeing Stuart look at him with a gaze that screamed disbelief, Louis rubbed his face and said, “No, really, I’m not interested.”

Regardless, today he had learned some genuinely useful things from Stuart.

The travel journal was something the previous traveler brought; now, the book was in his own hands.

And he himself was now the Forbidden Sorcerer of this generation—the only one in this world.

“Let’s talk about something else.” Louis no longer wished to discuss elementary school textbooks.

The evil spirit pondered for a moment, then transformed into another person: [This is Miss Osicres. The Witch Queen regards her as a thorn in her side; not long ago, during the student assessments, her stepmother played a trick on her. The assessment by the Ministry of Magic randomly selected me! Yet the princess not only didn’t object, she forced her apprentice to amuse me!]

“Oh?” Louis raised an eyebrow.

Seeing the wizard’s keen interest, the evil spirit realized—

Another admirer of ‘Miss’!

“Go on, then. Tell me about the Witch Queen and the Princess.”

Indeed!

[You ask the right person, my lord! I once served as the magic mirror for Her Majesty ‘Delphinia’!]

As Stuart began his tale, Louis grew solemn.

There wasn’t much written in the book about the Witch Queen and the Princess’s entanglements; perhaps there was something important.

Louis perked up his ears.

In fact, when they were young, their relationship was close: Delphinia was ten years older than Osicres, and they grew up together. Osicres once regarded Delphinia as a sister and half a mother.

Delphinia, in turn, considered Osicres her dear little sister.

Until Delphinia became the Witch Queen.

The Witch Queen did not necessarily become the queen of any kingdom, for she was the leader of the wizarding world. The kingdoms belonged to the world of ordinary folk. Wizards and kingdoms were as distinct as cultivators and the Celestial Empire—two separate worlds with clear boundaries.

Most of the populace knew nothing of magic or wizards. Occasionally, those who glimpsed wizards or dragons would have their memories erased by Ministry of Magic agents.

Thus, they didn’t know that certain notable figures in their own country were actually wizards. Nor did they realize that the legendary hero king, ‘King Isolda’, was a half-blood wizard of dragon and human descent.

Today, most of their descendants, through interbreeding, had been gradually excluded from the wizarding world, regarded as ordinary folk.

Including Isolda’s descendants—the King of Sorendo.

The Isolda line, due to its dragon blood, was like a mule bred from a hybrid, always facing grave issues with reproduction. Moreover, the wizard family hoped to ally with the dragon clan, causing their lineage to dwindle and decline.

By the time of the current king, the family was empty, and so the throne ultimately fell upon a ‘Straw Sandal Prince’.

An illegitimate son who repaired clocks.

Even when the lucky fellow was dragged to the palace by the guards, he thought he was just being asked by eunuchs to fix palace clocks.

He was, quite simply, the luckiest man alive.

After joining the royal family, he gradually learned many secrets; like other nobles, he discovered the existence of wizards—his worldview completely upended.

He no longer qualified to enter the wizarding world. But he was indifferent to it, and didn’t want his daughter to attend the wizard academy—he hoped she would marry a powerful dragon.

Yet the fool didn’t realize that dragons had to bow before wizards.

Nor did he know he had married two generations of Witch Queens!

“This king is a fool,” Louis exclaimed, eyes shining. “Yes, a lucky fool.”

[Indeed, my lord.] Stuart said with a smile.

Louis paused, sensing something amiss: “Stuart, I remember you said the current Witch Queen is the adopted daughter of the previous one?”

His eyes blazed with the fire of gossip: “What’s the story there?”

[Yes, my lord. Delphinia is the adopted daughter of the previous Witch Queen, ‘Francesca’, so she’s also the adopted daughter of the King of Sorendo. The king fell in love with his adopted daughter and forcibly married her as queen—just as Delphinia wished, for she had long loved her adoptive father.]

“??????”

Louis was utterly bewildered. The royal families of this parallel world’s ancient Europe were just too messy!

[Thus, the powerful Delphinia did not refuse, but for Princess Osicres, it was a bolt from the blue! Not to mention, her father still wanted her to marry a dragon...]

“This really is... too dramatic. Ahem, I mean, this news is quite sensational.”

That old man! The devil father!

And this Delphinia! Truly a remarkable woman!

Unbelievable!

Osicres was utterly stunned—her sister had fallen in love with her father, and had become her stepmother!

Could it be that when her mother was alive, they were already involved?!

Now that she’d grown up, her father and stepmother were constantly scheming to drive her out... sob sob sob.

Osicres was in despair, hating her stepmother and her father to the core.

So the Witch Queen and the Princess’s story was nothing but a heap of family drama.

“Enough,” Louis said, rubbing his face and weakly waving his hand, flipping the mirror’s tale back around.

To Louis, Stuart’s initial revelations had been quite entertaining—the juicy gossip satisfied his burning curiosity.

But the latter family squabbles grew disappointing, making him wonder if he’d wandered into a fairy tale world.

He’d imagined there would be some earth-shattering secret between the Princess and Witch Queen!

Louis believed the storybook had summoned him not for the petty affairs of Osicres’s household!

Surely, he was destined for a life of deep suffering, a cruel fate, and a world-saving, apocalyptic mission—if not, he’d seek one out himself!

[My lord, I haven’t finished yet! Please listen...]

“Go away... (‘I haven’t even mentioned the apple, when the queen ate the red apple sent by the princess via the huntsman... guess what? There was half a worm inside!’) Go away!”

Mr. Nightmare left, crestfallen.

Louis, too.

He didn’t even bother with memory erasure. These trivial matters weren’t worth the wave of his noble wand, worth twenty-eight copper coins.

He was certain he’d asked the wrong person.

How could a petty evil spirit know any real secrets?

How could this world possibly be just like a fairy tale?

He believed this was surely a perilous world.

And dangerous, too.

There must be a truly terrifying Dark Lord, or some mysterious figure.

They must be fascinating.

His own suffering, his twisted fate, surely came from these dreadful adversaries—or rather, he wasn’t even worthy to be called their adversary; they could crush him with a finger!

Louis grew excited; he must develop quietly, grow strong in secret.

Hope rekindled in his heart, envisioning his own tragic, fate-torn life and his world-saving mission.

One could glimpse it from the new spells and seals he had mastered.

[Forbidden: Demon-Banishing Spell lv10 (MAX)]

[Forbidden: Devil’s Pardon (Mark)]

Ahem, not that he would become a demon lord, but rather, it meant that this world at least contained terrifying demons—and his mission would be to face some dreadful demonic invasion, saving the world and all that.

As for this generation’s Dark Lord—Delphinia...

She’s unworthy!

How could a novice be called the Dark Lord?

She must be a fraud!

Thus, the Dark Lord, mysterious figures, and other terrifying beings were surely others.

[Louis guessed right: at Saint Oak Academy today, a terrifyingly mysterious figure appeared, whom Stuart found far more frightening than ‘Delphinia’...]

That night, the mysterious figure returned to his bed and cried bitterly under the covers.

‘Impossible! Saint Oak cannot be the world’s strongest wizard academy! This is just a beginner’s village!’

‘This must be a dangerous and frightening world!’

...